Protest in Taiwan continues, named “Wild Strawberry Movement”

Originally posted in free speech in TaiwanProtest in Taiwan continues, named “Wild Strawberry Movement”
(Alice Ju, Taiwanese student)
The protest initiated by professors and students in Taiwan has been longer than 96 hours, and protesters voted to name the protest as Wild Strawberry Movement on Nov. 9.

Strawberry is a symbol that mainstream media often used to satire young people who was born in 1980s by calling them “group of strawberry”. Born at the economic rising age, this generation is thought less painstaking than their parents and with less anti-pressure ability, just as strawberry couldn’t be pressed anymore. Students choose “Wild Strawberry” to counteract the stigmatization imposed by media.

This movement is the biggest student movement after the Wild Lily student movement in 1990. Both movements are launched by students, and are held in the same place, Liberty Square, which used to be Memorial Square before 2008. In Wild Lily student movement students demonstrated for democratic reform and now students are seeking the freedom of assembly and parade.

Wild Lily student movement is regarded as a major event in the evolution of democratic in Taiwan. They sought direct elections for president and vice president, which came true in 1996, after six years of the protest.

A lot of the demonstrators are now members of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the opposite party, including the protest leader of the Wild Strawberry movement, so some people doubt the movement was controlled by DPP.